Before purchasing a mobility scooter, you need to have some basic knowledge of how to use them and what surfaces the model you choose is suitable to be used on. Documents with the scooter or the retailer should provide information for you, however, this guide can help you before investing in or hiring a mobility scooter.
Suitable Surfaces
Class three mobility scooters are the only one that you can take on the road. Other types must be kept off the roads, saving for any time you need to cross a road. Generally, most class three scooters will be kept to pavements.
Suitable areas are pavements and indoor shopping centres for a standard type of mobility scooter. These areas have an appropriate surface that enables good grip for tyres and there isn’t much that could make the surface slippery, which would cause you to avoid the area.
Unsuitable Surfaces
If you want to travel on outdoor surfaces, you should invest in an all-terrain mobility scooter for peace of mind. Heading outdoors on surfaces you are not used to is best done in dry, warm weather. Surfaces that are often ok to drive on in dry weather include grass, as long as it is not on an incline, and gravel, if it is not too loose. Loose gravel could see your scooter struggling with grip and steering is a lot more difficult, and wet grass can be muddy, leaving you to get bogged down and stuck.
Avoid dry sand as much as possible, as the surface is hard to grip, and the sand can be damaging to your scooter. Wet and compacted sand is more suitable to drive over, unless there are times of sinking.
Is it Worth It?
Before attempting to drive over a surface that might not be suitable, ask yourself if it is worth it. If you have a chance of getting stuck, the scooter becoming damaged or you falling then the area should be avoided. Safety is of the utmost importance when it comes to using a mobility scooter.
You should also consider going from the outside indoors when it is wet. While grip and steering might still be ok when you are outside, indoor surfaces can become very slippery when wet, causing tyres to slip. You don’t want to take any risks when other people are around. It is safest to keep speed down and be cautious until the tyres are dry.
You might be interested in our other posts about mobility scooters:
Top tips for riding your mobility scooter safely
Benefits of using a mobility scooter
